A good movie

I already saw this movie but, since it was a while back, I thought I might as well check it out again. I’m glad I gave it a 2nd chance since I was much more able to enjoy it the 2nd time around. First of all, the damned thing was overhyped  before I watched it. Sure, it is a good movie but I don’t think it is really a masterpiece. But, above all, I really misunderstood it the first time I watched it. I mean, this movie pretty much established the whole ominous hillbillies trope, something that we have been accustomed to see in countless horror movies, especially slashers. As a result, I was pretty much conditioned to be expecting some good old slasher action but, in fact, it’s not at all what this movie was actually about. Indeed, the assault by these rednecks was certainly brutal but it did last for maybe 5 mins. These guys were never hunted afterwards like it would happen in any basic horror flick. It’s because the damned thing is not a horror feature but a psychological thriller focusing on how these 4 men handled trauma, death and murder. In fact, I thought it was closer to ‘Crime and Punishment’ then your basic slasher flick. Even before these events, Lewis was indulging in some toxic macho fantasy and, instead of getting deeper in what he might be thinking, they got him severely injured so we eventually never knew what he was going through. The tough guy did seem to be scared sh*tless when the possibility of dying became more real though. But the other 3 men definitely were changed forever. I will probably never forget how Drew would nonchalantly dive into the river after they decided to bury the dead body. It is probably one of the most shocking suicide scenes I have seen. For Ed and Bobby, well, they really lost it afterwards and it was quite fascinating to see these 2 men trying to make sense of what was going on, especially in their minds. By the way, I forget to mention that this movie is probably the worst publicity you could think off regarding extreme sports. Seriously, you are better off staying at home watching some Netflix. Anyway, to conclude, I’m still not completely convinced by this movie but it’s growing on me each time I watch it and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.